Texas A&M football Recruiting Rewind: Johnny Football, the Eric Dickerson what-if and more

Texas A&M made national headlines in 2022 when it signed the highest-rated class of the modern era, but Aggies’ recruiting has never lacked intriguing storylines.

From the Bear Bryant era in the 1950s to the heyday of the Southwest Conference, from the battles to sign players who became part of the “Wrecking Crew” defense to the flash of the Swagcopter, A&M has always managed to make waves on the trail.

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Let’s take a look back at some of the most impactful recruitments in program history.

Best recruit, pre-internet rankings: Sam Adams, DL

A&M nabbed some big-named recruits of yesteryear. Bryant lured John David Crow from Louisiana, and he won the Aggies’ first Heisman Trophy in 1957. Sirr Parker’s 1995 signing day surprise from Los Angeles began a journey that later ended in a Big 12 championship. Randy Simmons and Darren Lewis were a dynamic duo in 1987 who proved to be a coup for Jackie Sherrill. The list goes on. But Adams — the No. 1 recruit in Texas in the 1991 class and one of the best in the country — gets the nod.

Adams, a defensive lineman from Cypress Creek High in Houston, stood 6 feet 4, 265 pounds as a 17-year-old. His high school stat line as a senior was ridiculous: 96 tackles, 23 sacks, seven forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and nine pass breakups. He also caught a touchdown pass lining up at tight end. He was a Parade Magazine and USA Today All-American. His father, Sam Adams Sr., had an 11-year NFL career.

Everybody recruited Adams. His list of top suitors reflected that: Michigan, Miami, Oklahoma, USC, Texas and Texas A&M. The battle came down to the Longhorns and Aggies, with A&M winning out on the eve of national signing day.

Best recruit, modern era: Myles Garrett, DE

Garrett was everything you look for in a defensive end prospect. He had the measurables, the strength, the athleticism, quickness, speed and production. He was maniacal in the weight room. Like Adams, Garrett had an impressive stat line as a senior: 81 tackles, 19.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, four blocked kicks and 19 quarterback hurries.

Ranked as the No. 2 recruit in the country in the 247Sports Composite in the Class of 2014, Garrett was coveted by programs across the nation. Then-Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin took the Aggies’ famous Swagcopter to see Garrett play.

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At A&M, Garrett was a Day 1 starter and produced right away, racking up 11 sacks as a true freshman. He finished with 31 in his three-year career and was the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.

#Aggies keep rolling. 5-star DE Myles Garrett commits. He was the recruit Sumlin took the #swagcopter to watch play Bama wk.

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) October 18, 2013

Most influential recruit: Johnny Manziel, QB

Manziel, a three-star recruit, changed the face of Texas A&M football. But before his arrival in College Station, he was a walking highlight reel at Kerrville (Texas) Tivy High. Still, he was under-recruited within his own state, with Baylor and Rice being the only Texas programs to offer him before the Aggies jumped in.

And it took some convincing for then-coach Mike Sherman to pursue Manziel, in part because of Sherman’s preference for taller, big-armed passers. His quarterbacks coach at the time, Tom Rossley, proved persistent, even after Manziel committed to Oregon in the summer of 2010. The Aggies offered Manziel in late August, and he committed a few weeks later as part of the Class of 2011.

At A&M, Manziel redshirted and then became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy, which coincided with the Aggies’ debut season in the SEC. The upset of No. 1 Alabama in 2012, the 11-2 record and the celebrity status he attained — he spent the offseason hanging with a who’s who of athletes and entertainers, most notably rapper Drake — helped make A&M football cool for recruits. Donations poured in following his and the team’s success, which led to capital projects around campus, none bigger than the nearly $500 million renovation of Kyle Field that expanded stadium capacity from 82,589 to 107,233.

“Johnny Football” led the FBS in total offense and points responsible for in 2012, set more than 25 freshman and school records and concluded his two seasons with 93 touchdowns responsible for and more than 9,000 combined passing and rushing yards. He became a first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft but was cut by the Cleveland Browns after just two seasons.

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Biggest bust: Jorrie Adams, OT

Adams, a five-star recruit, was the No. 8 prospect and the top-ranked offensive tackle in the 2003 class according to Rivals. The 6-7, 275-pound Adams had offers from Oklahoma, LSU, Penn State, Florida, Miami and Arkansas among others. He was the headliner of Dennis Franchione’s first signing class at Texas A&M.

During his redshirt season in 2003, Adams got practice snaps at both tight end and tackle. In 2004, he moved to defensive line, recording 22 tackles as a reserve. In spring 2005, Franchione suspended Adams indefinitely, and in June, before what would have been his third season, Adams was dismissed from the program for violating team rules.

Best developmental story: Mike Evans, WR

Before Evans was a Super Bowl champion and multiyear Pro Bowler, he was a lightly recruited receiver prospect. Evans primarily played basketball in high school, where he was an all-city post player but undersized for his position at the next level.

Evans joined the football team as a senior, caught 25 passes for 648 yards and seven touchdowns, was second-team all-district and signed with the Aggies over … Tulane and Colorado State. Those were Evans’ only three offers, in large part because he was such a raw prospect with only one season of varsity tape. But Sherman took a flier on him, and Evans redshirted in 2011, working on the scout team with Manziel.

When Sumlin and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury arrived and Manziel became the starting quarterback in 2012, Evans became a force, notching team highs in receptions (82) and yards (1,105). As a redshirt sophomore in 2013, Evans became a terror. He averaged 20.2 yards per catch, 107 receiving yards per game and finished the year leading the SEC in touchdown catches (12) and second in receiving yards (1,394).

Evans, a three-star recruit who ranked No. 733 in the 2011 class in the 247Sports Composite, became the No. 7 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

The one who got away: Eric Dickerson, RB

Dickerson’s story is well known to this day thanks in part to the 30 for 30 documentary on SMU football “Pony Exce$$” and Dickerson’s memoir, “Watch My Smoke.” In 1979, Dickerson was considered the best high school recruit in the country. The recruiting battle for the Sealy, Texas, native was intense. Texas A&M won his verbal commitment shortly before signing day.

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According to an excerpt from his book, Dickerson mentioned to his stepdad that he really liked the new Pontiac Trans Am that he had seen at a dealership on Interstate 10. Not long after, an A&M booster sent him to the dealership, where he was told to pick any car on the lot. He chose the gold Trans Am, with the firebird on the hood.

“I’ve always said publicly that my grandparents bought me that car,” Dickerson wrote. “My grandfather made good money from his job as a crane operator at a steel mill, and my grandma’s name is on the paperwork, so that’s technically true. But behind the scenes, A&M had agreed to reimburse her. And that, my friends, is how the notorious Trans Am was paid for.”

Dickerson said he didn’t know at the time and learned of this a few years later. After getting the car, he was asked to commit to A&M and did, but after signing day, he flipped to SMU, which had also signed another top running back, Craig James. Dickerson and James later formed the “Pony Express” at SMU.

In 2022, Dickerson told “Texas Monthly” that he didn’t get anything to sign with SMU but that he received $1,000 per month, in cash, while he played there. He also later got a Corvette from an SMU booster. Dickerson helped SMU to the 1981 and 1982 Southwest Conference titles with a combined 21-1-1 record, back-to-back top-five finishes and a 1982 Cotton Bowl win.

Dickerson later went on to become the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft, a Hall of Famer and is still the NFL’s single-season rushing record holder. The car became infamously known as the “Trans A&M.”

Editor’s note: This is part of a series of stories looking back at recruiting superlatives for select Power 5 programs. The stories can be found here. 

(Top photo of Johnny Manziel: Scott Halleran / Getty Images)